No:22, 1 February 2019, Press Release Regarding The Termination Of The Temporary International Presence In Hebron By Israel

Republic Of Turkey Ministry Of Foreign Affairs 01.02.2019

We strongly condemn Israel’s unilateral termination of the mandate of the
“Temporary International Presence in Hebron” (TIPH), the multilateral
observation mission in Hebron/Palestine, and expect this political decision
to be reversed.

We decisively reject the allegation that the TIPH has been working against
Israel, which is presented by Israel as a justification for its decision.
The TIPH, in which observers from Turkey has participated since it came
into operation in 1997, made valuable contributions to easing the tension
in Hebron, held under Israeli occupation.

The circumstances in Hebron leading to the establishment of the TIPH are
still present today. Within this context, it is clear that the termination
of the TIPH does not end Israel’s accountability and its obligations
emanating from international law, first and foremost from the Fourth Geneva
Convention. We call upon the international community to ensure Israel’s
compliance with these obligations.

Turkey, which supports the vision of a two-state solution based on the 1967
borders between Israel and Palestine, will continue to closely monitor the
situation in Hebron with this understanding.